[Comparison of the prognostic value of UICC and JGCA lymph node staging criteria for gastric cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the correlation of prognosis with UICC or JGCA lymph node staging criteria for gastric cancer and evaluate the value of application of those two TNM staging systems in prognosis prediction.


METHODS
From January 1996 to December 2005, 395 gastric cancer patients who underwent D2 or D2 plus radical gastrectomy with > or = 15 lymph nodes removed were enrolled into this study. The data were analyzed by both UICC and JGCA lymph node staging criteria, respectively. Kaplan-Meier method was applied to analyze the survival rates, and Log-rank test was performed to assess the statistical significance among groups.


RESULTS
Compared with the survival curve based on JGCA lymph node staging criteria, UICC lymph node staging system showed a much more significant difference among N subgroups, and similar result was also found in the patients with T3 disease. The N subgroups stratified by UICC criteria were re-staged with JGCA, while the N subgroups by JGCA criteria with UICC. Though the difference among subgroups were not statistically significant in either group, it was greater based on UICC criteria than that based on JGCA. No significant difference was found in the 5-year survival rates of stage I , II, III and IV based on either UICC or JGCA TNM staging criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that UICC staging system is more predictive and relevant to prognosis than JGCA staging system for gastric cancer, and D2 or D2 plus radical gastrectomy with at least or more than 15 lymph nodes removed is required when UICC-TNM gastric cancer staging criteria is applied.
Pan
Yuan
Y
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Tianjin Cancer Prevention and Management, Cancer Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China. panmayy@yahoo.com.cn
Liang
Han
H
Xue
Qiang
Q
Zhang
Ru-Peng
RP
Cui
Qing-Hao
QH
Liu
Ning
N
Wang
Bao-Gui
BG
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate